On Tuesday, June 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a firm, 3-year timetable for food manufacturers to eliminate trans fats. While many restaurants and suppliers have been taking measures for years to reduce and remove the partially hydrogenated oils that produce trans fats,...

If last year’s Menus of Change emphasized a need to shift away from meat-based menus, this year’s conference extolled the business advantages associated with such a shift.
“In America, we are much better at capitalism than prohibition,” said Culinary Institute of America (CIA) president Tim Ryan in...

The fast-paced action of sports has never quite made its way into the sports bar world, which has long been a full-service, leisurely environment. But the team at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Family Sports Pub wants to get in on the surging popularity of the fast-casual sector with its new concept, Beef’s...

As the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) works to develop the future of foodservice, it also seeks to promote the industry’s storied history. The Elliot Group, a retained executive search firm specializing in the hospitality industry, recently stepped in to further this...

Many fast casuals boast a dine-in experience comparable to full-service establishments: unique interiors, comfortable seating, and tableside delivery of an order. That final element can prove difficult for limited-service operators, as food runners generally have to call a customer’s name or search...

More limited-service operators are phasing out food products from animals treated with nontherapeutic antibiotics and hormones as consumers air concerns over the human and animal welfare impact of such practices. But as brands large and small embrace more naturally raised meat and poultry, they...

Hospitality has long been known as a family value, and every now and then it also becomes the family business. In Los Angeles’s thriving restaurant scene, two father/son sets paired up to bring hospitality from their home dining tables to a quick-service concept.
Nicholas Eckerman had a background...

All too often, foodservice operators are eager to talk about menu innovations, brand storytelling, and their core mission. But at the base of these more marketable elements is the simple mandate of all businesses: to make a profit. And at the base of making a profit is each company’s pricing...

Magic sort of loses its luster with age. Rarely does one find the right occasion to use the term magical as an adult—after a first date, perhaps, or to describe an experience at a concert or a vacation. There is one place, though, where—by design—the magic never seems to die. Walt...

Quick-service operators looking for external financial support often find an attractive option in private equity firms. But finding the right partner takes effort, research, and a little bit of soul searching.

Colleagues and industry contacts are good places to start when considering...

It was another late night last fall at the LivingSocial office in Washington, D.C., and Alan Clifford and Ian Costello were hungry. As vice presidents of customer relationship management and product development, respectively, the two were often burning the midnight oil and coming upon the same...

Having spent three decades helping franchisees evaluate prospective investments, Terry Powell has noticed a monumental shift in the industry. The days of franchisees signing on the dotted line with little more than a review of the royalties, franchise fee, and total investment have largely...

Perhaps best known for cofounding America Online (AOL) and later serving as its CEO, Steve Case has now turned his attention to foodservice. Like many tech innovators, he sees great potential to “disrupt” the system through technology and a tech mindset.

Regular readers of this column know that for some years now, I’ve been dispensing suggestions on how quick-serve chains can do more to court millions of Millennials, aka members of Generation Y, whose adventurous palates, curious minds, and unconventional tastes have often made them elusive qu

As most of the food industry knows, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced an extension to the rule released last year requiring that restaurant chains and retailers provide customers with calorie counts on available food and beverages by December 1, 2015.Now restaurants have an e